Hanefi Avcı
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Hanefi Avcı (born 1956,
KahramanmaraÅŸ Province KahramanmaraÅŸ Province () is a Provinces of Turkey, province and Metropolitan municipalities in Turkey, metropolitan municipality of Turkey. Its area is 14,520 km2, and its population is 1,177,436 (2022). Its provincial capital is the city o ...
) is a former chief of police in
Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
,biografie.net
Hanefi Avcı
/ref>Hanefi Avci: ''Haliç’te Yaşayan Simonlar: Dün Devlet Bugün Cemaat'' (English: ‘Devotee’ Residents of Haliç: Yesterday State, Today Religious Congregation). Angora Yayınevi, 18th Edition 2010, and author of the best-selling book ''Haliç’te Yaşayan Simonlar'', in which Avcı claimed that the
Gülen movement The Gülen movement () or Hizmet movement () is an Islamist fraternal movement. It is a sub-sect of Sunni Islam based on a Nursian theological perspective as reflected in Fethullah Gülen's religious teachings. It is referred to by its membe ...
had infiltrated the police and manipulated key trials such as the
Ergenekon trials The Ergenekon trials or the Ergenekon conspiracy, were a series of high-profile trials which took place in 2008–2016 in Turkey in which 275 people, including military officers, journalists and opposition lawmakers, all alleged members of Erge ...
through judges and prosecutors close to the movement. Avcı, a conservative Islamist, was himself once close to the movement, and his children were educated in a Gülen school. Avcı, who in the 1990s testified to parliament in relation to the
Susurluk scandal The Susurluk scandal () or Susurluk accident (), was a 1996 political scandal in Turkey that exposed a close relationship between the Turkish government, the ultra-nationalistic paramilitary Grey Wolves (organization), Grey Wolves organization an ...
and in 2009 to prosecutors about the mafia links of the
Ergenekon Ergenekon is a Turkish term that may refer to: *The Epic of Ergenekon, the founding myth of Turkic and Mongolic peoples * Necabettin Ergenekon (1926-2020), Turkish officer *Ergenekon, Turkish name of Agios Chariton, a village in Cyprus *Ergenekon ...
organization, was the first Turkish state official to confirm the existence of the
Turkish Gendarmerie The Gendarmerie General Command () is the national gendarmerie force of the Republic of Turkey. It is a service branch of the Turkish Ministry of Interior responsible for the maintenance of the public order in areas that fall outside the jurisdi ...
's
JİTEM Jandarma İstihbarat ve Terörle Mücadele or Jandarma İstihbarat Teşkilatı (abbr. ''JİTEM'' or ''JİT''; English: "Gendarmerie Intelligence and Counter-Terrorism" or "Gendarmerie Intelligence Organization") is the intelligence department of ...
intelligence unit. Shortly after publishing the book, Avcı was arrested, accused of leaking information to the nominally Marxist–Leninist Devrimci Karargâh. Later he was additionally charged with being connected with the
Ergenekon Ergenekon is a Turkish term that may refer to: *The Epic of Ergenekon, the founding myth of Turkic and Mongolic peoples * Necabettin Ergenekon (1926-2020), Turkish officer *Ergenekon, Turkish name of Agios Chariton, a village in Cyprus *Ergenekon ...
organization, in the odatv case.


Career

From 1976 to 1984 he was active in the police in
Mersin Province Mersin Province (), formerly İçel Province (), is a Provinces of Turkey, province and Metropolitan municipalities in Turkey, metropolitan municipality in southern Turkey, on the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coast between Antalya Province, A ...
, involved in anti-terror operations. During this time he was responsible for several deaths by torture; in 1997 he met some of his torture victims and apologised. From 1984 to 1992 he worked in the police in Diyarbakir, before being appointed the head of the Istanbul Intelligence Branch (''İstanbul İstihbarat Şube Müdürlüğü'') in 1992. He was promoted to Vice President of the Intelligence Department (''İstihbarat Daire Başkan Yardımcılığı'') in 1996.hanefiavci.com
Hanefi Avcı
/ref> His statements to the parliamentary commission investigating the
Susurluk scandal The Susurluk scandal () or Susurluk accident (), was a 1996 political scandal in Turkey that exposed a close relationship between the Turkish government, the ultra-nationalistic paramilitary Grey Wolves (organization), Grey Wolves organization an ...
, on the links between the police, intelligence services and organised crime saw him suspended from the police; he was later reinstated. In 2003 he was appointed head of the Police Department of Smuggling and Organised Crime. According to Avcı, he was too successful in this position, and as a result was moved to Police Chief of
Edirne Province Edirne Province () is a Turkish province located in East Thrace. Part of European Turkey, it is one of only three provinces located entirely within continental Europe. Its area is 6,145 km2, and its population is 414,714 (2022). Edirne Province ...
in 2005. After uncovering a police corruption scandal in Edirne, he was moved to become Police Chief of
EskiÅŸehir Province EskiÅŸehir Province () is a Provinces of Turkey, province and Metropolitan municipalities in Turkey, metropolitan municipality in northwestern Turkey. Its area is 13,960 km2, and its population is 906,617 (2022). Its adjacent provinces are B ...
in 2009. In 2009 he told prosecutors in the
Ergenekon trials The Ergenekon trials or the Ergenekon conspiracy, were a series of high-profile trials which took place in 2008–2016 in Turkey in which 275 people, including military officers, journalists and opposition lawmakers, all alleged members of Erge ...
that state officials in the police,
Turkish Gendarmerie The Gendarmerie General Command () is the national gendarmerie force of the Republic of Turkey. It is a service branch of the Turkish Ministry of Interior responsible for the maintenance of the public order in areas that fall outside the jurisdi ...
, and
National Intelligence Organization loction 39°54'25.0"N 32°39'59.3"E The National Intelligence Organization (), also known by its Turkish language, Turkish initials MIT or MİT, or colloquially as the Organization (), is an intelligence agency of the Turkish government tasked ...
had formed a "mafia-like" organization which used the war against the PKK as an opportunity for profit. He said
Veli Küçük Veli Küçük (born 9 May 1944)Today's Zaman, 16 June 2009Ultranationalist Ergenekon suspect is of Armenian origin, magazine reveals/ref> is a retired Turkish brigadier-general. He is thought to be the founder of the JİTEM intelligence arm of t ...
, a key suspect in the trials, had links to known mafia leaders.


Book and arrest

In 2010 he published the auto-biographical book ''Haliç’te Yaşayan Simonlar: Dün Devlet Bugün Cemaat'', which covered various aspects of the "
deep state Deep state is a term used for (real or imagined) potential, unauthorized and often secret networks of power operating independently of a State (polity), state's political leadership in pursuit of their own agendas and goals. Although the term ori ...
" in Turkey, including the
Ergenekon Ergenekon is a Turkish term that may refer to: *The Epic of Ergenekon, the founding myth of Turkic and Mongolic peoples * Necabettin Ergenekon (1926-2020), Turkish officer *Ergenekon, Turkish name of Agios Chariton, a village in Cyprus *Ergenekon ...
organization and the
Gülen movement The Gülen movement () or Hizmet movement () is an Islamist fraternal movement. It is a sub-sect of Sunni Islam based on a Nursian theological perspective as reflected in Fethullah Gülen's religious teachings. It is referred to by its membe ...
's infiltration of the police. Avcı's book claimed that the Gülen movement had highly placed people with privileged access to wire taps, and would publish information obtained this way when it suited it. He said he was one of those wire-tapped. Hurriyet Daily News, 26 August 2010
Police chief talks on live TV about claims against Gülen community
/ref> The book also said that various high-profile investigations, including the
Ergenekon trials The Ergenekon trials or the Ergenekon conspiracy, were a series of high-profile trials which took place in 2008–2016 in Turkey in which 275 people, including military officers, journalists and opposition lawmakers, all alleged members of Erge ...
and the Sledgehammer trial, were being manipulated by the Gülen movement through judges and prosecutors associated with the movement. The book was a best-seller. Hurriyet Daily News, 28 September 2010
Former Turkish police chief Hanefi Avcı arrested
/ref> The book received "conflicting reactions" in the Turkish media. In September 2010 Avcı was arrested and accused of links with the terrorist group Devrimci Karargâh, which he denies, saying that he had "been expecting these kinds of defamations". He was accused of using a phone line belonging to Necdet Kılıç, an alleged Devrimci Karargâh member. Kılıç said he knew Avcı only because Avcı had tortured him in the 1970s when Kılıç was accused of membership of the short-lived THKP-C. He was also accused of passing secret information relating to investigation of DK to Kılıç, based on evidence found in Avcı's office; Avcı said it had been planted. In 2011 he was additionally charged as part of the Odatv case of the
Ergenekon trials The Ergenekon trials or the Ergenekon conspiracy, were a series of high-profile trials which took place in 2008–2016 in Turkey in which 275 people, including military officers, journalists and opposition lawmakers, all alleged members of Erge ...
, on the basis of documents allegedly found at
odatv OdaTV ''(also known as Odatv.com, Odatv or odaTV),'' an online news portal based in Turkey, was founded in 2007. It is one of the most followed news portals in Turkey and according to the Alexa statistics, it is the 119th most visited website in ...
. At around the same time a request for an Article 301 trial in connection with his book was denied. In 2013 prosecutors demanded a 50-year prison sentence. Hurriyet Daily News, 4 February 2013
Prosecutor demands 50 years for former police intelligence chief
/ref> In July 2013 Avcı was convicted of aiding a terrorist organisation and of trying to influence a trial with his book, and sentenced to 15 years 3 months.
Today's Zaman ''Today's Zaman'' (Zaman is Turkish for 'time' or 'age') was an English-language daily newspaper based in Turkey. Established on 17 January 2007, it was the English-language edition of the Turkish daily '' Zaman.'' ''Today's Zaman'' included dom ...
, 19 July 2013
Former police chief Avcı sentenced to 15 years on terror charges
/ref>


Bibliography

* Hanefi Avcı, ''Haliç’te Yaşayan Simonlar: Dün Devlet Bugün Cemaat'', Angora Yayıncılık, 2010 * Mehmet Baransu, ''Mösyö: Hanefi Avcı’nın Yazamadıkları'', Karakutu Yayınları, 2010. *
İsmail Saymaz İsmail Saymaz (born 11 July 1980, in Rize İletişim Yayıneviİsmail Saymaz/ref>) is a Turkish investigative journalist and writer for the newspaper ''Sözcü''. He has published articles and books on the Turkish deep state and Ergenekon, in ...
, ''Hanefi Yoldaş: Gizli Örgüt Nasıl Çökertilir?'', Kalkedon Yayıncılık, 2011


See also

*
Ahmet Şık Ahmet Şık (; born 1970, Adana) is a Turkish investigative journalist, the author of several books, a trade unionist, and member of Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Parliament in Turkey.Details othis website; accessed on 11 April 2011 His book, ...
's '' The Imam's Army''


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Avci, Hanefi 1956 births Turkish police chiefs Turkish writers Prisoners and detainees of Turkey Turkish people imprisoned on terrorism charges Living people